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I haven't actually watched any of this anime, but I thought it would be fun to write a review for it!
The animation and music are miserably dated, with awful JPop and 80's era TV visuals. The real problem, however, is not the outdated technical aspects, but the obsolete writing. Maisson Ikkoku starts well and then squanders its characters on an episodic plot that doesn't flow well for modern audiences. The humor is equally dated, consisting largely of bad ecchi jokes and stupid slapstick. As the protagonist meanders cluelessly through his improbable romance AND/OR love triangle, we are teased with possible... See full review

Shounen anime tend to be like Kraft cheese singles; they taste delicious when you are young, but as you get older you realize they are actually awful and have too much filler. I kind of miss the days when I could watch Naruto and enjoy it, but there are only so many meandering, waste-of-time 100 episode wankoffs that a person can reasonably enjoy before they become completely jaded. Have you read my sappy, cloying review of One Piece? I actually hate that show now.
Given this, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is something of a miracle. Unlike 99% of shounen anime (including the original Fullmetal... See full review

StoryAngel Beats borrows ingredients that are achingly familiar and mashes them into something miraculously entertaining. The series cheerfully rips off Suzumiya Haruhi's titular character, adds her to a Sunrise-inspired ensemble cast, and plunks them into a rehash of Haibane Renmei's basic premise. There's an all-girl rockband, a shy warrior angel, and even a dude who hypnotizes people... See full review

Here's an interesting hypothetical: how much can a terribad ending ruin an otherwise watchable 51 episode series?
I'm not about to waste a five-dollar reviewer word like "captivating" on the narrative, but at the same time I can't say I was bored. There is a somewhat shounen-esque theme of powering up throughout the series, except that in this show, the heroines are powering up their ACTING. Of course the premise is ridiculous, but it works to a surprising degree... up until that ending.
At that point, all the build up over the first 45 or so episodes is squandered. The absurd progression of... See full review

Have you ever craved fast food? Well, there's an anime-related analogue; sometimes, all I want to see is some cheesy shoujo. I don't always want a hip crossover title like Nana, or a "normal" male-oriented romcom ala Toradora. No no no, sometimes, all I want are episodes where the characters do nothing but talk about their feelings. Sometimes, all I want are too-perfect boys that sparkle when they smile. Sometimes, all I want is a story about a girl that overcomes hardship with the power of FRIENDSHIP. Sometimes, all I want is a goddamn shoujo.
Kimi ni Todoke will scratch that itch, if you let... See full review

When I started watching Quiet Country Café, I was almost positive that
the anime would be pretty much identical to the original anime in mood
and tone. I was fully ready to post up a 4 sentence review saying
something along the lines of, “This is exactly the same as the
original. If you liked the original OVA, you’ll like this one too.”
However, what I found was something that’s actually quite different, in
its own subtle fashion.
As I stated in my review of the original
work, I found the original Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou’s mood to not only
be calm and... See full review

To call Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou “slice-of-life” is quite the
understatement, for this anime is not merely a “slice” of life; it’s
the entire goddamn pie. Never before have I seen an anime that so
single-mindedly focused on realism. The anime has no conflict
whatsoever, but instead relies entirely on the general mood of the show
to entertain the audience.
What, exactly, is the mood of the
show? Good question. Some may make the case that the anime is cheerful,
but this, in my opinion, is not entirely true. While watching the show,
I was also struck by an overwhelming... See full review

What is perhaps most interesting about this one is how close the anime
comes to being a classic without ever actually becoming one. While
watching Wolf's Rain, there were numerous times in which I could
see the anime approaching the kind of exhilarating grandeur found in
titles like Cowboy Bebop and Crest of the Stars. However, the show
would always back away at the last minute, as if an invisible wall were
preventing it from progressing any further.
The anime certainly
starts on the right track. I remember fondly of the days in which the
average review rating on animenfo for Wolf's Rain was 9.8... See full review

Rose of Versailles starts strongly. Aside from introducing a likeable
set of characters, the show sets the stage in a promising setting:
France, in the years leading up to the French Revolution.
Unfortunately, some absolutely asinine directing prevents the show from
being anything but mediocre.
The major problem with Rose of
Versailles is not the general story in and of itself, but the delivery.
Over the course of the anime, the show is sure to include several
(repetitive) segments that focus on the desperate cries of the
underprivileged, the tragic oversights of the ruling class, the... See full review

The "horror" genre in anime has pretty much become a misnomer over the
years; rather than attempting to be scary in any way, shape, or form,
the animes almost always attempt to develop a slow, interesting and
gruesome story. When the genre works well, it fosters a kind of morbid
fascination in the viewer. Despite the fact that not a lot is happening
in these shows, what does happen can be very interesting indeed.
However, when the genre fails, the anime comes across as cheesy,
predictable, and boring. Every horror anime walks a very fine line
between being appealingly dark and appallingly... See full review

I was joking with someone the other day that I’d rather watch weird
anime than good anime, and then almost immediately afterwards I found
myself watching this little number. Before I begin, I think it’s
necessary to say that the sole redeeming quality of this show is that it’s bizarre. For some, this might be enough. Others… not so much.
When
I say this is strange, I mean that, as someone who actively searches
out this kind of stuff, this is the strangest thing I’ve seen since Cat
Soup, three years ago. It’s simply mind-boggling that something like
this... See full review

Why would I ever watch sports anime when I can just watch sports in real life?
Immediatedly
after learning that sports animes exist, this is probably a newcomer's
most common reaction. Indeed, the argument is a sound one - why waste
time on unrealistic, cheesy, and above all lengthy animes when the
actual sports that they mimic are often so dreadfully boring?
The
answer, of course, is that what makes sports animes so good is not
their mimicry of reality, but their enhancement of it. For one, the
characters of a sports anime show are always much more likeable than
the fluid injecting, pill pushing... See full review

Perhaps the most interesting anime to compare Planetes to is Last Exile
- not for the similarities between the two, but for the differences.
The two animes both attempt to show an alternate, futuristic world with
a large cast of characters, but the actual approaches are radically
different.
With Last Exile, we are plunged into a chaotic world
of war, intrigue, and power games. The first few episodes are
incredibly bewildering (albeit in a good way), and we feel totally
enveloped in the fantastically imaginative world that the anime is
taking place in.
Planetes, on the other hand, seems to almost... See full review

I’m pretty sure Ghibli is one of the only studios on earth capable of
taking a storyline like this one’s and making something worthwhile out
of it. The plot has a kind of meandering, silly quality to it that
could easily have turned to tedium, but no; from the seemingly
boundless resources at Ghibli’s disposal, the studio makes the movie
work as a creative, lighthearted, and ultimately endearing show.
Admittedly,
the anime lacks some of the heartfelt poignancy found in some of the
Ghibli’s better works (ie. Whisper of the Heart, My Neighbor Totoro,
Spirited Away, etc.)... See full review

I think of all the animes that have been made in Japan's history, Cat
Soup is one of the hardest to review. What the hell can one say about
something so incredibly bizarre?
With mainstream anime, it's
generally possible to talk about things like "plot," "characters," or
"moral message." Cat Soup flies in the face of such unnecessary
baggage. The anime has no recognizable story, the characters have no
names and almost no dialogue, and the OVA as a whole doesn't even begin
to make any sort of sense.
Even with the similarly constructed
Angel's Egg, one has an ample... See full review

For a good while now, in every review, I have always tried to explain exactly why I liked or disliked an anime. As time has shown, this is one of the
more maddening principles that I have taken up. Occassionally, a case
comes up in which I am at a complete loss to understand what factors
influenced my opinion.
Whisper of the Heart is such an anime.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind about whether this movie is
good. On the contrary, I am absolutely certain that WotH is a classic,
and needs to be seen by everyone. What does perplex me, however, is
exactly what makes this anime so incredibly... See full review

Kurau makes an honest attempt at being a heartfelt action/drama hybrid,
but shoddy character development and slow pacing prevent the show from
actually succeeding. Although steps are taken to give each character a
back-story, the results more often than not feel forced and unnatural.
A lot of this can be attributed to the fact that the characters are
somewhat unoriginal, and have little attributes to differentiate them
from other anime characters.
A lot more can be attributed to the
absolutely hideous dialogue. At its best, the characters' exchanges do
nothing but develop the plot. At their... See full review

I had extremely high hopes for Juuousei after the first couple of
episodes. The series efficiently sets up its premise, characters and
world in an extremely short amount of time, after which the anime
rockets off on an extremely promising storyline. Indeed, the first half
of the series is excellent.
For one, the characters after
episode one are all initially likeable. None of them are particularly
deep, but the character designs are excellent and the seiyuu do a good
job. More importantly, the pacing of the early episodes is flat out
fantastic. Unlike some shows, which half-wittingly bumble... See full review

What particular qualities make a human being worthy of power? What
particular qualities make a human being worthy of life? Can a person
who is morally righteous and good be at the same time incompetent in
leadership?
One of the many strengths of Juuni Kokuki is how it
spends much of its time answering these questions. Throughout the show,
these questions are not only addressed, but are tackled with
exuberance. The end result is a philosophical commentary that is
unexpectedly perceptive and interesting in its analysis.
Another
major point in Juuni Kokuki's favor lies in its absolutely... See full review

They Were Eleven is a prime example of what awesome old-school
anime should be: a work that overcomes its dated animation and sound
through the sheer awesomeness of its over-arching story.
Many
"classics" of yesteryear have become obsolete due to their reliance on
animation that has long since become absolutely awful. They Were Eleven
avoids this pitfall neatly; although the animation is by no means
sloppy, the clear focus is on the story, where all their efforts go
towards providing extremely taut suspense.
For the most part,
they succeed. Like Black Jack (another anime that not... See full review

Introduction
People seem to be having trouble
differentiating anime that’s actually intelligent from anime that
merely pretends to be, and Interlude is a fine example of this
phenomenon. The show is a rather sorry piece of work that attempts to
be “deep” merely by being confusing, and yet many seem to believe that
there is merit here. Trust me: there isn't.
Animation
Overall,
I was disappointed by the animation. Character designs are decidedly
unoriginal and unappealing, and the show uses a lot of repeated footage
(there are several recap segments that actually recap what... See full review

Sometimes, an anime doesn’t need anything except for pure style.
Hellsing had its bloodshot skies, Noir had its pounding, pulsating
soundtrack, Big O had the comic book world and SoulTaker had absolutely
mindbending visuals. As well as the ones I’ve mentioned, countless
other animes are entertaining not for a particularly coherent storyline
or characters that we can actually empathize with, but for a distinct
and very appealing “feel” to the show. In the same vein, Hitsuji no Uta
is pretty much nothing but style… but what an amazing style it has.
Every
single aspect... See full review

In all honesty, I’m not entirely sure what score to give this anime;
I’m torn between two completely different opinions. Because of this,
rather than just picking one, I'm going to list both. For the purpose
of this review, they will be personified as "A-san" and "B-san."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pretentious, snobbish, pseudo-intellectual self: A–san
Unsophisticated, ritalin-munching, mindless self: B–san
A–san:
Night on the Galactic Railroad is, without a doubt, a work of... See full review

One of the best feelings in life is when you go into an anime assuming
it will be awful and get proven wrong. Ginban Kaleidoscope is one of
those shows. I expected a low-budget, predictable, cheesy, and clichéd
work.
…and that’s actually exactly what I got. But never mind
any of that; the series has a sort of indefatigable buoyancy that kept
me popping back for more, despite the fact that I fully expected to
drop the show after the first few episodes (see: Mai Otome, Tsubasa
Chronicle, Mahoraba to name a few from recent memory). In the end,
although I don’t think I was... See full review

Genshiken is funny. The End.
...
...
...
Seriously,
though, this is usually the only thing in comedies that matters. In
anime like Dragon Half, Golden Boy or Fumoffu, there really isn't any
point other than the sheer quality of the gags. Watching any of those
series for anything but laughs is about as productive as using a condom
as a water balloon. Sure, you might be able to do it, but you're
missing the point entirely.
This isn't really the case, however,
with Genshiken. Even though the show is a comedy, the creators are sure
to also include some fairly interesting insight into true... See full review

Galaxy Angel III is the best sequel ever, doing more with its cast than the show has ever done before...
Er… I mean…
Galaxy Angel III has truly groundbreaking predecessors, and manages to live up to the undeniably prestigious franchise…
Wait… no.
Galaxy Angel III may be a small step down from its highly enjoyable…
No again…
Galaxy Angel III is worse than the better-than-average series before it, but…
Let’s try one more time:
Galaxy
Angel I and II were enjoyable fluff; nothing more, nothing less. While
I considered II to be a... See full review

If there’s one thing I can credit Futakoi Alternative for, it’s for
consistently surprising me; the show changes gears so rapidly
throughout the 13 episodes that it’s basically impossible to predict
what will happen next. Just when you think the show is running along
the lines of some GAINAX tripfest, the series will abruptly switch to
slice-of-life. The creators will wait a few episodes for you to get
used to that, and then swerve violently into the angsty romance genre.
Then, just as you think that the show is going to consistently do the
opposite of what you’re expecting... See full review

Every once in a while, after I finish watching an anime, something
extraordinary occurs; I'll sit back, and blankly stare off into space.
The anime will have affected me so deeply that I remain completely
dumbstruck even after the credits have finished. Full Moon wo Sagashite
is one of the few animes to have instigated this phenomenon; after I
finished watching it, all I could do was gape at my empty computer
screen.
What started out as merely a guilty pleasure soon became
something I genuinely cared about. After about episode 10, I loved
everything about the anime, from the girly character... See full review

Overall
There is so much
unified hate towards this short little OVA that it’s difficult to
really give a standard critique of the show that rates each category in
the abstract.
Instead, it’s obligatory to start with why I think most people will hate this. In short, this is an anime
that flips the audience the middle finger. The creators make a
conscious decision that story, characters, or any real meaning
whatsoever are completely unimportant. What's more, the humor is beyond
tasteless, the character designs are far from appealing, and the show
feels almost like a visual assault in... See full review

Animation
The animation is fantastic, and would have been
some of the best of 2004 but for one crucial flaw: the CGI. While the
style of the anime is fantastic and easily the highlight of the show,
the creator’s insistence to rely on decidedly sub-par computer graphics
for a large part of the show definitely hampers it.
However, the
rest of the visuals are amazing. Like in Soultaker, an anime from the
same director, Cossette no Shouzo is amazingly adept at using color,
visual perspectives, and striking backgrounds together to meld an
amazingly cohesive and impressive visual package. Like... See full review

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